Dual flush valve packaging



June 23, 1964 c, 0, KING DUAL FLUSH VALVE PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1963 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,137,867 DUAL FLUSH VALVE PACKAGING Clyde 0. King, 4055 Utah St., San Diego, Calif. Filed July 12, 1963, Ser. No. 295,296 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-57) This invention consists of an improvement in the dual flush valve now being offered for use in toilets. The present day toilet usually has a flush valve that consists of a single float pad with a circular projecting surface added thereto such that when the float tank is drained the float flops down on the drain pipe, thus closing the valve.

This improvement divides the Water in the flush tank, if the operator so desires, into what might be termed a primary flushing and a secondary flushing whereby an estimated two thirds of the water is conserved when a secondary flushing is not necessary.

It has been shown that the best regulated families look upon the toilet as a great waster of water, hence for a family Where there are many small children, an estimated two thirds of the total amount of water normally used may be conserved, for adults alone a ratio of three primary flushings for every secondary flushing is estimated, thus equaling half of the water saved.

It is therefor, the primary object of this invention to provide an improved dual flush valve to be used in conjunction with flush tanks for the conservation of water.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dual flush valve whereby only a small volume of water may be used, when so desired, to flush the toilet with the result that flushing noise is greatly reduced.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved flush valve which selectively permits partial or substantially complete evacuation of water from its associated flush tank.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a dual flush valve unit of such construction as to render the same to be disassembled and reassembled in such a manner as to form a compact unit having all components located therein for storage or transport.

These and still further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the specification and claim taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section view thru a valve assembly according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section view thru a valve assembled for shipping.

FIGURE 3 is a right elevation View of the valve lifting link.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view at line II of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, partly broken, II-II of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view, partly broken, IIIIII of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view, partly broken, at line IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view, partly broken, VV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical view, partly broken, VIVI of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional View taken along line VII- VII of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings particularly FIG. 1, there is shown a common flush valve actuator lifting link 18. Lifting link 18 is pivotally connected to a horizontally projecting shaft on the anchor block 12a. The anchor block 12a, is in turn slidably received in a supporting bracket 11 which is adjustably secured to the normal flush tank overflow pipe 26.

at line at line at line at line Patented June 23, 1964 ice Secured at the lower end of anchor block 12a is an upper float member 13 having compositely located adjacent thereto a threaded surface stem, said float member 13 having an upstanding trunk portion hemispherical in shape, having an inclined annular wall and a central elongated aperture therethru. Received within this aperture and threadedly engaged in anchor block 12a is a lifting rod 16 slidably connected to lower float member 27 as will be hereinafter described.

Lower float member 29 is constructed of two spaced cylindrical shells, 14 and 14d, sealingly connected at their upper and lower ends by horizontally disposed annular connecting member so as to form a float chamber therebetween. The inner cylindrical shell 14d is of substan- I tially the same height as the outer cylindrical shell 14, but is inclined at an angle of approximately 60 thus defining an annular funnel shaped sealed float chamber and a water passageway therethru. The lower ends of the two cylindrical shells are coplanar and it should be noted that bracket 17 having a plurality of guide fingers 17e, functions as the horizontal connecting member for the bottom portion of lower float member 29.

Near the top of the outer cylindrical shell is an upstanding circular flange which in conjunction with upper bracket member 15, forms a seat for an O-ring or gasket 23.

Disposed and secure within the inner cylindrical shell at its upper and lower ends are two brackets or spiders 15 and 17 respectively having a plurality of guide fingers 15e and 172 respectively. AXially disposed in brackets 15 and 17 are apertures thru which extends lift rod 16, rod 16 being of sufficient length to project below the lower bracket 17 and having head 30 thereon to form a slide stop. Disk gasket 24 is carried by lower bracket 17.

The device as described may be installed in a common flush tank having an overflow pipe and a valve seat, with lower float 29 via of disk gasket 24 sealingly resting thereon. Upper float member 13 in turn rests in sealing engagement on -O-ring 23. Supporting bracket 11 is secured to the overflow pipe as at 26 in FIG. 1 and lifting link 18 is attached as described, to the valve actuator, not shown.

Another feature of this invention is a finger protecting cap or shield 25, constructed in such a manner as to have substantially the same angle of inclination as inner shell 14d and upper float member 13. Shield 25 is adapted to be used during storage or during transport etc.

The device operates as follows: Initial upward movement of lifting link 18 serves to raise upper float 13 off lower float 29 allowing a minimum amount of flush water to enter the toilet bowl. If additional flush water is necessary, continued upward movement of link rod 18 via actuator or handle not shown, serves to raise lift rod 16 via anchor block 12b, until the rod head 30 engages guide bracket 17. After which upward movement is transmitted to the lower float member 29, thus raising it ofl the tank valve seat, thus allowing the remaining and major portion of the flush water to enter the bowl. Release of the lifting link 18 and discharge of the flush water will allow float 29 to return to scaling engagement with the valve seat, guided by lift rod 16. Upper float 13 will also return to sealing engagement with O-ring 23, also guided by lift rod 16 sliding in the axial apertures of brackets or webs 15 and 17.

The entire assembly may be packed for shipping or storage in the following manner: Lift rod 16 is threadedly disengaged from anchor block 12b. Upper float member 13 and lift rod 18 are turned upside down and sealingly fitted in the upper portion of lower float member 29 to effect a closure. A shield or cap 25 is sealingly fitted over disk gasket 24 substantially as shown in FIG. 2. It should be noted that bracket 15 and spacer bracket 11 are inserted inside inner shield 14d in an immovable position. Lifting rod 16 is slidingly inserted thru the slanted aperture in shield 25 and threadedly received in threaded surface stem 12c to hold the assembly in place during transport or storage. It should be noted that cap member 25 may be rendered discardable depending on the material used in construction of the same.

Thus has been described a novel float valve constructed according to this invention. It is evident therefrom that the object of this invention together with many practical advantages is successfully achieved.

What is claimed is:

A dual flush valve for a toilet having a tank with a bottom, a drain fitting extending thru said bottom, an overflow pipe connected to said drain fitting and a valve seat at the inner end of said drain fitting comprising in combination, a lower float member having a vertically disposed outer cylindrical shell and an inclined vertically disposed inner cylindrical shell coaxial With and substantially the same height as said outer shell and having its lower end disposed in substantially the same plane as said outer shell, said inner and outer shells being sealingly joined at their upper and lower ends by horizontally disposed annular connecting members, the upper connecting member being lesser in width than the lower connecting member, so as to define an annular funnel shaped float chamber between said outer cylindrical shell and said inner cylindrical shell; said upper horizontally disposed annular connecting member having a gasket mounted thereon to effect a seal between an upper float member and said lower float member upon engagement thereof; a circular bracket guide member mounted within and at the upper end of said inner shell in the immediate vicinity of said upper horizontally disposed connecting member, a second 4- bracket guide member having a plurality of guide fingers; a disk shaped gasket mounted on the bottom of said lower float member and adapted to rest on the valve seat; an upper hemispherically shaped sealed float member having a centered vertically extending aperture therethru, said upper float member adapted to rest in sealing engagement on said circular gasket, said upper float member being substantially the same diameter as the upper portion of said lower float member, having substantially the same angle of inclination as said lower float member and capable of being inserted upside down in the upper portion of said lower float member, said float member having a threaded surface stem on the outer periphery to threadedly receive lift rod for shipping purposes, a flexible threaded lift rod slidably engaging said bracket guide member and threadedly received by an anchor block in said upper float member, said lift rod being interchangeable to the threaded peripheral surface adjacent said upper float member during storage and transport, and a finger protecting cap shaped shield having an inclined hole to receive the top portion of said lift rod during storage and shipping to effect a compact unit during transport, said lift rod having means connected thereto to adjustably actuate the same whereby initial vertical movement of said lift rod by way of said anchor block lifts said upper float member from engagement with said lower float member for a partial flush, and whereby further vertical movement of said lift rod by way of said anchor block lifts said lower float member from engagement with the valve seat for a full flush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,080,567 King Feb. 2, 1961 

